Episode 48: The Changing Front Lines in the Battle Over Guns

It has been twenty years since Congress passed federal gun control legislation. That’s two decades in which America has seen some of the most horrific massacres in our nation’s history. But despite DC's gridlock on the issue, America’s debate over gun rights and gun regulations has gained energy. Just not in Washington. That’s just one conclusion of an in-depth, eight-month reporting project by this year’s News21 team. Student journalists tackled the issue of guns in America, turning out dozens of stories from the new, changing front lines of the debate. We here at DecodeDC have featured several of their stories, from funding of gun rights groups to the problems with our national background check system and state efforts to nullify federal gun laws. Today, we’re featuring them on the podcast. Host Andrea Seabrook talks to News21 reporters Justine McDaniel Jacy Marmaduke, getting a broad overview of the current state of the gun debate in America, and then looking at a single state that is both a microcosm of the national debate, and a crucible for activists’ tactics.